Process of decomposing oil.



A. A. WELLS.

PROCESS OF DECOMPOSING 01L.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31. 1913.

1,23%,454 Patented July 3, 1917.

Inv ntor:

T TT

ALFRED A. WELLS, OF MONTGLAIB, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T ELLIS-FOSTER COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF DECOMPOSIN 'G OIL. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, 1917.

Application filed March 31, 1913. Serial No. 757,866.

citizen of the United States, and resident of Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements the Process of Decomposing Oil, of which the following is a specification.

This invention concerns a process ing light from heavy petrolic oils.

I have found that the decomposition of kerosene and other oils to make light products is promoted by certain conditions set forth below.

Heavy oils do not split up by heat in a controllable manner but many side reactions occur producing gases and coke or carbon deposits. My aim is to resolve such reactions into controllable form.

When say kerosene is passed through a tube heated to substantially 500 C., especially in the presence of water vapor, decomposition occurs and lighter oils are produced. If the heating takes place gunder pressure the reaction progresses more uniof. makformly and I find the pressure is best varied with the nature of the oil, the kerosene requiring a higher pressure ordinarily than the heavier oils. I find that as a rule the pressure may be varied as the inverse squares g the gravity expressed in degrees Baum.

where G is the gravity in degrees Baum,

P the pressure and K a constant.

The use of water with oils in passing the same through a hot zone should be controlled with reference to the partial pressure of the oil and compensated for, the.water preferably being increased in proportionate amount with increase in the gravity, that is the heavier the oil the greater quantity Condensation of the products that have passed throughthe hot zone may take place subsequently under. pressure or in vacuum, preferably under atmospheric pressure.

Any gaseous product collected during condensation may be returned to the hot zone in' order to produce a back pressure of gas tending to retard gas formation from the freshly added oil.

Air may be admitted to the heating zone but only in small amounts and so as not to give rise to combustion, which is undesirable, but merely to very slightly oxidize and aid in polymerizing olefinsto stable bodies of a volatile nature. Olefiiis are undesirable in motor fuels as they tend to resinify in the carbureter. double bonds are destroyed and this product is rendered stable. When hydrogen is introduced in placeof air, in the presence of a suitable catalyst the olefins are satu- Due to polymerization the.

rated to the corresponding paraihns. It is not essential that the; olefins be completely saturated with hydrogen in order to obtain a stable product and I prefer to add only about half of the quantity necessary to complete such saturation.

A rapid transfer of heat to the mixture in the decomposing zone is desirable and the flow of the mixture may be regulated to keep its temperature at the point required for best conversion as shown by the formula heretofore given while the metal tubes, etc., inclosing the same may be heated much hotter, In this manner a large output is afi'orded with compact apparatus.

I- have found that metal bodies of the shape of jackstones are desirable in tube heating, asthese bodies pack in such a manner as to give a nearly clear space near the walls of the tube while the spaces decrease as the center is "approached, thus giving greater baffling action in the center. These bodies may be made of cast iron plated with copper, or a mixture of copper and nickel, the latter being sometimes useful with heavy oils. Or other catalytic coating may be progulced, such as the oxids of copper and co- By using close boiling fractions, that is, fractions boiling within narrow limits, such as well refined or fractionated kerosene I may operate so as to secure a yield of about 25-35% of light products distilling below 150 C. The light products are removed by distillation .or dephlegmation and the residue is returned to the heating apparatus to be further decomposed. If the light fractions are not taken off before their percentage reaches a somewhat higher figure, they are more or less converted to fixed gases. This result is' obtained by maintaining the furnace at such a temperature and passing the oil at such a rate that only about 30% of the heavier oil will be converted into the lighter products. If the oil is passed too slowly or if the temperature is allowed to become too great excessive amounts of gases will be formed. To secure the greatest amount of light products and minimum amount of gas, this consideration should be borne in mind, in addition to the foregoing specified conditions.

The drawings forming a part of this specification show a diagrammatic outline of an apparatus suitable-for my purpose. In these drawings Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus and Fig. 2 shows the preferred form of the heat conducting and catalyzing material.

In Fig. 1, 1 is a chamber having the tubes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 between which are bafiies 8, 8. 9 is an inlet for hot gases and 1.0 a flue. 11 is the mixture inlet pipe having the oil branch 12 and water branch 13. 14 is a plug to admit catalyzer. 15 is a pipefor admitting air or oxygen or other gas such as hydrogen. 16 is a discharge pipe having a valve 17. 18 is a gas return pipe provided with the pump 19. Fig. 2 shows the jackstone formation of the heat conducting element. This may be made of iron with a copper coating. Usually the diameter of this element is not greater than one half the, diameter of the vtube in order to secure the peculiar bafliing efiect increasing toward the center of the tube.

The operation of the apparatus in carrying out my process is as follows :-Illustratively take-kerosene of a gravity of 45 Baum. This may be entered by the pipe 12 at a given rate while water in the proportion of substantially one part of waterto ten parts of oil enters by the pipe 13. These mix-at 11 and pass into the in the upper part of the chamber which are usually maintained at 360-370 C. Here initial decomposition to some extent takes place and the-preheated mixture advances into the lower tubes which are kept at a temperature of SOD-525 0., that is to say, the mixture passing through the sameis held at about that: point. The products withdrawn at .16 should contain 25% or over of products boiling under 150 C. For kerosene of this gravity the pressure is main preheating pipes incense tained at 243 lbs. in which case the constant P 60.1bs. working pressure.

' Example U.

' P=243 lbs. working pressure.

22 B. oil is the gravity of residuum still bottoms and can be decomposed at slightly above its boiling point hence it does not re quire a very great pressure to keep it from boiling at the temperature of decomposition of about 100-450 B. On the other hand 45 B. corresponds to ordinary kerosene which is not decomposed at its boiling. point, which is between 200 and 300 6., but must be heated to about 500 0., or somewhat higher in order to bring about successful decomposition. Therefore the pressure-must be much greater than is the case when. the heavier products are used.

These light products are removed and the heavier residue mixed if desired with fresh kerosene is returned to- 12'.

What is claimed herein is 1. The process of making light from heavy fractions of petroleum, which com:- pri'ses passing the vapors of the heavy oil with water through. a heated zone baiiled with pronged metallic bodies, and in withdrawing said vapors and condensing same.

2. The process of making light. from heavier petroleum oils which comprises passing the heavier oil together with water through a heated zone baflie'd with structures of such ashape that. a greater bafiiing effect is secured in the center than'at the exposed surfaces of said heated zone, in.

withdrawing said vapors and. condensing same. I Y

3. The processof malnng'hght'from heavy hydrocarbons which comprises passing the vapors of the heavy oil through a heated zone bafiied with metallic: pronged bodles,

whose surface is coated witha catalytic.

material, in withdrawing the vapors and: condensing same.

4. In the process of making lighter from heavier petroleum oils by passing the vapors of the heavier oil through a heated zone the step whichv comprises bafiii ng the 1,232,4isa 1 heated zone with pronged metallic bodies whereby a greater bathing effect is secured in the center of the passage than at the exposed surfaces thereof.

5. In the process of converting heavy petroleum oils into lighter bodies by passing the heavy oil vapors through a heated baflled zone, the step which comprises battling the heated zone with pronged metallic bodies whose surfaces are coated. with cata in which I equals pressure, G equals gravity in degrees Baum and K is a constant, in removing said vapors and condensing same.

7. The process of making light products from heavier petroleum oils which comprises passing the heavier oil through a heated zone containing baflies. the arrangement of said baflies being such that a hafl'iing effect in the center of said zone greater than that at the exposed surfaces of said Zone is secured.

s. In the process of converting heavier petroleum oils into lighter bodies by passing the. heavier oil vapors through a heated lmiiled zone, the step which comprises baffling the heat zone with metallic bodies whereby a baflling effect in the center of the passage greater than that at the exposed surfaces thereof is secured.

9. The process of making gasolene material froin heavier petroleum oil Which comprises passing the vapors of the heavier oil of predetermined gravity through a heated zone in extensive contact With metallic surfaces at a pressure corresponding to the formula r G=K Where P equals the pressure, G the gravity in degrees Baum and K is a constant, in removing the products of decomposition and in condensing the gasolene material.

10. The process of making gasolene material from heavier petroleum oil which comprises passing the vapors of the heavier oil of predetermined gravity through a cracking zone baflled with metallic bodies having heat conducting properties, While maintaming the pressure at a point corresponding to the formula where P is the pressure, G the gravity in degrees Baum and K is a constant; in removing the products of heat decomposition and in condensing the condensable material therefrom. V

Signed at Montc'lair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 29th day of March A. D. 1913.

ALFRED A. WELLS.

Witnesses:

1. DAVID LUBETZKI, ELIZABETH M. MARTIN. 

